Kite release for parachutes and gliders



June 4, 1940. R DOERR' "2,203,083

KITE RELEASE FOR PARACHUTES AND GLIDERS Filed July 24, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor 05erf 1 Doe/r A iiorneys June 4, 1940. R. F. DOERR 2,203,083

KITE RELEASE FOR PARACHUTES AND GLIDEHS Filed July 24, 19:59 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A tiorneys Patented June 4, 1940 UNITED" fs AfrEs KITE RELEASE FOR PARACHUTES AND GLIDERS I I Robert F. Doerr, Portsmouth, Ohio Application July 24, 1939, Serial No. 286,288

Claims. (Cl.'244--155) I This invention relates to an attachment for a kite, the general objector the invention being to provide a holder for holding a parachute and a glider; with a traveling member on the kite string 5 which will release the parachute and glider when the traveling member reaches a point on the string adjacent the kite."

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure '1 is a perspective view of the invention 20 showing the same on a kite'stringr Figure 2 is a perspective view of the trigger parts.

Figure 3 is a view of the main tube through which the kite'string passes.

, 26 Figure 4 is a view of the small tube'carried by includes an elongated bar I having. a housing forming sheet 2 fastened to its lower part, the 35 sheet being looped over the bar with its major portion depending from the bar to form a housing for the parachute P, the housing tapering forwardly and the parachute being folded and having its major portion inserted into the housing as shown in Figure 1. The parachute is formed of tissue paper or the like and has the strings'3 attached thereto with the strings connected together by a weight 4, the weight 4 having a loop 5 attached thereto. An angle clip 6 is fastened 45- to the upper end of the bar I and has a forwardly extending part formed with a slot I and adjacent the front end of the bar an angle strip 8 is attached to its upper edge,v the free and short arm 8 of the strip having a hole therein for receiving 50 a rod 9 which passes through the bar I and through a post IIJ dependingjfrom .an intermediate part of the bar I and having a substantially horizontally arranged bar I I attached to its lower end. The rod 9 passes through a small tube I2 55 which connects the post III to the horizontal bar II, with the lower end of the rod 9 connected by a flexible member I4 with one end of a plate I5 which has its other end held in a notch. I6 in a trigger member I'I, saidtrigger member having its upperend pivoted ina notch in the rear end 5 of the horizontal bar I I as shown at I8. A weight I9 istconnected to the rear edge of the'trigger member I1 and the lower end of said member is beveled and carries a headed pin 2!] and a plain pin 2I which extends in front of the headed pin. 10- A'long'tube 22 has sliding movement through a sloping hole 23 in the forward end of .the horizontal bar II and said tube has anelongated longitudinally extending slot 24 therein and an enlarged opening 25 adjacent its lower end with said lower end of channel shape in cross section as shown at 26. A flexible member21 connects the front end of the tube 22 with the frontportion of the bar I for limiting downward movement of the tube and said front end of the bar I is I formed with a substantially bayonet slot 28 and a' guide 29. The traveling member is shown" at B and consists of a card 30 having'a slot 3I therein extending from a point adjacent the center of the card through the lower edge thereof with the slot terminating in a round hole locatedabove the center, said hole receiving the slotted tube 32, see Figure l, which has a plate 33 attached to an intermediate part thereof which, in turn;is at tached to the card for firmly supporting the tube v of the kite string.

A glider G is adapted to be placed on the bar I with its tail structure passing through the clip 6 with thehorizontal part of thetailjstructure passing through the slot 1 and the front end of the glider is provided with a loop 40 through V which the rod-9 passes for holding the glider on the bar I.

The kite string is'passed through the tube 22 and through'the loop 29 and the slot 28,the loop 29 and slot 28 being so formed'as to hold the kite ment 25, the head of pin 20 holding the member I! in engagement with the tube 22 as shown in Figure 1 and in this position of the parts the plate [5 bearing against the lower end of the rod 9 will hold said rod 9 in its upper position with its upper end passing through the hole in the arms 8' of the strip 8.

Then when the kite reaches a height where it is desired to release the parachute and the glider the traveling 'member B is placed on the kite string, said string passing through the tube-32 and held therein by the clip 35. Then the traveling member B will move up the kite string until it strikes the lower end of the tube 22 which causes the tube 22 to move upwardly and when the enlarged opening 25 of tube 22 comes over the headed'pin 20 the member I! will swing outwardly and downwardly, thus releasing the loop 5 of the strings of the parachute so that the weight 4 Will cause the string 'to swing outwardly and downwardly thus pulling the parachute from the housing 2. Also this movement of the member I! will cause the plate It: to swing downwardly thus exerting a pull upon the rod 9 which causes the upper end of the rod to pass through the loop 40 and this releases the glider so that the Wind will remove the glider from the bar I and said glider will sail away and, of course, the dropping of the Weight 4 will act to pull the parachute from the housing 2 and the parachute will open up and slowly descend.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an attractive attachment for a kite which will permit the user of the kite to release a glider and a parachute after the kite has carried said devices into the air.

It is thought fromthe'foregoing description'that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

'It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts 'provided that such changes fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed "as new is:

1. An attachment for a kite comprising a holder for receiving a parachute in folded position, a Weight on the strings of the parachute for pulling the parachute from the holder, means for attaching the holder to the string of a kite, a latch member pivotally supported from the holder and engaging the weighted part of the strings,

a traveling member adapted to be placed on the string of the kite and means actuated by the traveling member for releasing the latch member to free the weightwhereby the weight will pull the parachute from the holder.

2. An attachment for a kite comp-rising a holder for a parachute and a glider, means for attaching the holder to the string of a kite, a trigger bar for a part of the parachute, a sliding rod for a part of the glider for holding'the glider on the holder, means carried by the trigger bar for holding the rod in operative position and for moving the'rod to inoperative position When the trigger bar is released, a tube through which the kite string passes, mea'ns carried by the tube for holding the trigger bar in holding position but releasing the trigger bar when the tube is moved upwardly on the string and a traveling member adapted to be placed on the string to move upwardly thereon to engage the tube and moving the same to a position to release the trigger bar.

3. An attachmentfor a kite comprising a holder for a parachute and a glider, means for at-.

taching the holder to the string of a kite, a trigger bar for a part of the parachute,'.a sliding rod for a part of the glider for holding the glider on the holder, means carried. by the trigger bar for ing the rod to inoperative position when the trigger bar is rele'ased,a tube through which the kite string passes, means carried by the tube for hold ing the-trigger bar in holding position but releasing the trigger bar when the tube is moved upwardly on thestring and a traveling member adapted to be placed on the string to move upwardly thereon to engage the tube and moving the same to a position torrelease the trigger bar, said traveling member comprising a card having a slot therein, a sloping tube passing through the card and having a slot therein registering with the slot in the-card for permitting the kite string to 'be passed through the slot 'inthe card into the holding the rod in operative position and for mov- 7 slot in the tube and a rotary locking member on the tube.

4. An attachment for a kite comprising an elongated bar, a member attached to the rear 5 part of the bar-and forming a housing for a parachute, a post depending from anintermediate part of the bar, a horizontal member carried by the lower endof the post, a trigger bar pivoted to the rear end ofthe horizontal member, a tube sliding through the 'front end of the horizontal member and having alongitudinally extending slot therein through which a kite string can be passed into the tube, a headed pin at the lowerreleasably supporting a glider on the 'first-me'ntioned bar, said glider having a loop in its front end, a rod passing through the first-mentioned bar and adapted to engage the loop, means for holding the rod in holding position by the trigger bar and for pulling the rod to releasing position when the trigger'bar is released, the parachute having a weight at the lower end of its strings and a loop connected with the weight for passing around the trigger bar and a traveling member adapted to be placed on-the kite string for moving the tube upwardly to release the triggerbar.

5. An attachment for a kite comprising a frame, means for attaching the frame to a kite string, means for holding a glider on the frame suchmeans including a rod passing through a part of the glider, adepending member pivotally connected at its upper end with the frame and normally held against swinging movement,

, means for attaching the rod to said swinging member, a traveling member adapted to be placed on thestring of the kiteand means for releasing the swinging member by the traveling member which causes the swinging memberto move the rodtoreleas'e the glider. v

ROBERT F. DOERR. 

